1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to anesthesia machines, and more particularly to devices for mounting vaporizers on anesthesia machines equipped interlocks or exclusion systems for precluding operation of any vaporizer if another is in use.
2. Description of Related Art
It is common practice for an anaesthesia apparatus to have mounted on it two or more separate vaporizers, each arranged for delivering a different volatile anaesthetic so that the same basic anaesthesia apparatus can be used during a series of surgical operations to meet the needs of different patients.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,759,358 (Gregory) there is disclosed an interlock system for use with two or more gas flow units (vaporizers) when mounted in a removable plug-in fashion on the back bar of an anaesthesia machine. Each gas flow unit includes a rotary cap, which when moved from an off to an on or operative position admits to the unit a gas from a supply provided by the apparatus. The interlock system includes at least one pin associated with each gas flow unit which, when the rotary cap is moved towards its operative position, extends outwardly from the unit to engage and move a spacer mounted for sliding movement on the apparatus between adjacent units towards a similar adjacent unit to thereby prevent the rotary cap of the similar adjacent unit from being moved towards its operative position.
Datex-Ohmeda, Inc. of Madison, Wis., presently commercializes vaporizers for use in anesthesia machines constructed in accordance with the teachings of U.S. Pat. No. 4,759,358. Those vaporizers are a series sold under the designation “TEC” vaporizers.
In my co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/681,787, filed on Oct. 7, 2003, entitled Interlock/Exclusion Systems for Multiple Vaporizer Anesthesia Machines, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,962,153, assigned to Draeger Medical, Inc. of Telford, Pa., the same assignee as this invention, and whose disclosure is incorporated by reference herein there is disclosed an interlock/exclusion system adapted for use with plural vaporizers on an anesthesia machine.
The machine is configured for use with at least three, removable vaporizers. Each vaporizer is identical in construction, except for the particular anesthesia it is arranged to provide to the anesthesia machine and is arranged to be releasably mounted on the anesthesia machine in a removable plug-in fashion. In accordance with one preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention in that application each of the vaporizers is a conventional device, such as that sold under the trademark VAPOR 2000 by Draeger Medical, Inc. Each vaporizer unit includes its own respective built-in adaptor to enable it to be mounted on the anesthesia machine in a removable, plug-in fashion. An interlock/exclusion system of my aforementioned patent application is designated under the trademark Autoexclusion 3 Vapor mount bar and is included on the FABIUS GS anesthesia machine of Draeger Medical, Inc.
Owing to the particular construction of the interlock/exclusion system of my aforementioned patent application, a purchaser/user of the Fabius GS3 anesthesia machine or some other machine making use of an interlock/exclusion system of my aforementioned patent application can only make use of vaporizers constructed like those disclosed in that application, e.g., VAPOR 2000 units.
A need thus exists for an adaptor or other device to enable a vaporizer like that of U.S. Pat. No. 4,759,358 to be used with an anesthesia machine constructed in accordance with the teachings of my aforementioned patent application.
All references cited herein are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.